fandomhigh | NNSE, Monday, First period

"I hope you've enjoyed the last two classes," Lulu said, a mildly devious sparkle lighting her eyes. "However, we're going to depart just mildly from our main topic to discuss something less related to sex and more related to relationships. Today, we discuss what you do when you're in a relationship with more than one other person. In this world, at least, this is called 'polyamory'." She wrote the word on the board. "Obviously, for many of us, this wouldn't be considered the... default for relationships, although I imagine that, with all the possibilities out there, there are some worlds where it is.

"Polyamory is an umbrella term for a number of non-binary ways of looking at relationships. It involves plural relationships, where more than two people are sharing their lives together, as well as various forms of open relationships, in which two people are committed to each other but also share committment -- or even just sex -- with other people, whether a small group of 'friends with benefits' or the option to simply go and find other sexual partners as they will. There are many other permutations and combinations possible, as you can see in this packet ~~thanks Wiki~~.

"Your activity today is to get together in groups of two or three, at which point you will simulate..." Lulu hesitated for just a moment there, but certainly long enough to let imaginations run wild as to just what was to be simulated. "... a verbal fight in a polyamorous relationship. Consider the possible struggles: one partner wishes an open relationship while the other does not; three partners are struggling over an imbalance in a triad relationship. I wish you to roleplay out these encounters to get an idea of how, in fact, these relationships are not so different from traditional monogamous relationships.

[OOC: I'll be gone for a couple of hours through the early evening to work on a group project for school, but other than that I'm around all day. Surprisingly not NSFW for once, but who knows where the comments will go. ~~Plz to be waiting for~~ OCD is up!]

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"I'm not sure that I could," Rikku said, shrugging a little awkwardly. "I'm not sure I'd want to. Maybe I'm just not the type who could. I mean, maybe that's weird, maybe some people can and I just ... can't."

She chewed on her lower lip. "That would be nice, though. Having an extra person around, like you said. Except you have friends for that, you know? Maybe I'm just too insecure to ever get that to work right."

Ino propped her chin in one hand, "Honestly? I don't think I could either. I've always sucked at sharing." A pause. "But I don't think that's really weird since Miss Lulu even said it's not the default relationship type for most people."

She shrugged, "I guess it all depends? I mean, back home, our teams are like our second families so we don't really need more support but maybe if you don't have many friends it might be different?"

"Maybe we're just supposed to ... I don't know. Talk it out and see what it's like?" Rikku considered. "Maybe it's like the teams, where it's all off-center until you get one more person in there. For them, I mean."

She smiled. "'Miss Lulu,' it's still kinda weird thinking of her like that. Should I call her that? I'm not sure I'd be able to adjust to it."

"Well, you're the TA and if she hasn't told you to say it differently I'm sure it's alright if you don't." Ino offered. "Just maybe add the Miss if you wanted to like, interrupt her while she was talking to another teacher?"

"That might be it," Ino grinned, "or at least we can agree on it being a possibility. We're definitely in uncharted territory as far as I'm concerned. Should we start pretending then?"

"Yeah. Like her roommate? He seems nice. I think he teaches here, too." Rikku shrugged. "I shouldn't worry about it unless it comes up, right?"

She grinned. "Okay. Let's start pretending. Um. So are we a couple, and we're both seeing somebody else? But like sharing, not cheating?"

This was so weird. "Right! We're a couple and uh, our third, who'll exist only in our imaginations for now, has been..." Ino flailed for a conflict, "really busy lately, so they haven't been home much. Maybe. Or something."

She looked appealing at Rikku, "Any ideas for a problem?"

"Right. Um. Oh! I know! Uh. Since he's not home much - is it okay for him to be a 'he'? - maybe I feel like he's spending all the time he does have with you, and not me, and I'm upset?" Rikku bit her lip. "If that's okay?"

Ino nodded, "'He' is fine by me. Should we name him? Just to make it easier? And uh, sure. So I guess that means we're trying to work it out without him getting upset? Or something."

"Um ..." Rikku tried to think of a name that was completely neutral, and failed. "Your names are different than ours. I mean, you probably don't know anybody named Eigaar, right? And maybe we're just ... trying to work out insecurities and all that and make sure we all still want the same thing. Which is each other."

Ino blinked at the name. "No... ours aren't anything like that. Um. Maybe name him after a thing. Like say... uh... Ash? Maybe?" She nodded. "Alright, so we're still together but we need to have a serious Talk." Ino took a deep breath. "Let's get started then."

"Okay," she said calmly. "I, uh, I need to talk to you. It's about us. And ... Ash. And the way we've all been, lately."

She lowered her voice to a whisper. "Is that a good start?"

Ino nodded. Then her face took on a mildly concerned look, "About us? I haven't noticed anything..." Pause. "What's been bothering you?"

She dropped the act and whispered, "This is so weird."

"I ... don't know. Maybe it's just me. Maybe I'm being strange. I just feel like ... I know he's busy, with work, but ..." Rikku shrugged, a little helplessly. "I feel like he never has time for me, any more. Just you."

She leaned in to whisper back, "I know! I can't imagine ... you know?!"

Ino's eyes went wide, and she leaned forward. "Oh no, how long have you been feeling like that? You should have told me sooner."

"I know! How are we supposed to do this seriously?" Said in a whisper.

"No, it's okay, I ..." Rikku gestured vaguely. "I didn't want to ... I mean, impose, 'cause you get time with him, too, and that's just as important? I'm probably just feeling weird, that's all."

"I don't know," she whispered. "'Cause maybe if we were in a poly-thing, we would've talked this out by now, and we'd fight about something totally different. Like who didn't do the dishes last night."

"If you're feeling left out, then I've been spending too much time with him and not enough with you." Ino crossed her arms, "I thought we were all in this together, so you've got to tell us these things. Not just let it go."

Ino nodded and whispered, "Or who was suppose to take out the trash. This sort of thing would've come up way early in the relationship, don't you think?"

"You're right," Rikku said, shaking her head. "Even if it's all just ... in my head, I should tell you and you can tell me I'm being silly and then we get over it instead of me sitting and telling myself not to feel it." She sighed. "Okay. From now on, I'll say things when I get weird. Sorry?"

She lowered her voice again. "Maybe it depends on the relationship. Or maybe we should have had a fight about the trash. That'd be kinda funny, really."

"You've nothing to be sorry about," Ino said, "I'm sorry, and when you, no we go and talk to Ash tonight I know he'll be sorry to. You're important to us, and you shouldn't have ended up feeling ignored in the first place."

"Fighting over the trash would have been hilarious." Ino responded quietly, grinning at Rikku, "Then we could've said that we were going through the same sort of thing that 'traditional monogamous relationships' do. So it would've even been on topic."

"Maybe we should all spend some time together," Rikku beamed. And lowered her voice. "And maybe we start up a loud argument about the trash, just to prove a point."

NNSE, Monday, First period

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